PROGRAM

• RAVEL String Quartet in F Major (1903).
• Caroline SHAW (b.1983) Three Essays: Nimrod, Echo, & Ruby
   (2016-18).
• BEETHOVEN String Quartet #13 in B-Flat Major, Op.130 (1825) &
    Grosse Fuge (Great Fugue) Op.133 (1825).
  

Pre-concert Talk by Dr. Erica Buurman, Director, The Ira F. Brilliant
Center for Beethoven Studies, San Jose State University (at 6:15PM)

MUSIC

Ravel’s Quartet won Debussy’s admiration, and innovates within its classic form.
Caroline Shaw composed Three Essays for the Calidore. Shaw’s work mixes old and new sounds, and her Three Essays (the Washington Post reported) “kept a roomful of people on the edge of their seats, rapt throughout.”
Beethoven’s late quartets explore new worlds of sound. Stravinsky called the Great Fugue finale for Op.130 “the most perfect miracle in music... contemporary forever”.

ARTISTS

Praised for its “deep reserves of virtuosity and impressive dramatic instinct” (New York Times) and for its balance of “intellect and expression” (Los Angeles Times), the Calidore Quartet’s impressive accolades include a 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the 2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and named BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists.

Calidore String Quartet

PROGRAM

• MOZART String Quartet #19 in C Major, K.465 “Dissonance” (1785).
• STRAVINSKY Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914).
• MENDELSSOHN Capriccio for String Quartet in E Minor, Op.81/#3
    (1843-47).
• BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op.34 (1864).
  

Pre-concert Talk by Music at Kohl Mansion Musicologist, Kai Christiansen (at 6:45PM)

MUSIC

After its dissonant introduction, Mozart’s Quartet radiates beneficence and consonance.
Stravinsky’s Three Pieces are novel and revolutionary here, as he was in other musical genres.
Mendelssohn’s Capriccio starts as an Andante—then bursts out as a high-speed passionate fugue.
Brahms’ Piano Quintet—composed at age 31—with its impetuosity and brooding mood, is epic and masterful.

ARTISTS

The Paris-based, world-touring Quatuor Modigliani celebrates 15 years playing top venues and series. Their eight CDs on Mirare label have all won prizes and critical acclaim. “The best evening of string quartet playing at HMA in 20 years.” (Lee Eiseman, Director, Harvard Musical Assn.)
Local favorite Jon Nakamatsu wins unanimous praise worldwide as a true aristocrat of the keyboard.

Modigliani Quartet  • Jon Nakamatsu

PROGRAM

• BEETHOVEN Piano Trio #1 in E-Flat Major, Op.1/#1 (1793-95).
• Carl FRÜHLING (1868-1937) Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op.40 (1925).
• DVOŘÁK Piano Trio #3 in F Minor, Op.65 (1883).
  

Pre-concert Talk by Musicologist Roger Emanuels (at 6:45PM)

MUSIC

Haydn approved of Beethoven’s witty, vivacious first published piano trio and its mastery of high-Classic style. Beethoven elevated the trio form through tonal manipulations and by adding a Scherzo.
The musical language of Austrian pianist/teacher Carl Frühling’s clarinet trio is “Brahmsian” Romantic.
Dvořák’s magnificent third trio combines Viennese Classicism with his own Romantic and Slavic sensibilities.

ARTISTS

The Gould Trio—28 years strong—is long recognized as one of the most outstanding piano trios (The Washington Post likened it to the Beaux Arts Trio). Together with celebrated clarinetist Robert Plane (“an eloquent and expressive voice” (The Times of London), they’re praised for rediscovering unduly neglected repertoire (e.g. Frühling’s trio). Their impressive discography includes Beethoven’s trios. ”Pure Gould…trio playing at its best.” (The Strad).

Gould Piano Trio  •  Robert Plane

PROGRAM

• SAINT-SAËNS String Quartet #1 in E Minor, Op.112 (1899).
• BEETHOVEN String Quartet #14 in C# Minor, Op.131 (1825-26).

Pre-concert Talk by Dr. Erica Buurman, Director, The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, San Jose State University (at 6:15PM)

MUSIC

Saint-Saëns’ late Romantic Quartet Op.121 – his first, at the ripe age of 64 – is hailed as a powerful and original masterwork of French quartet literature. Its magnificent 2nd movement is a tremendous tour de force.
Beethoven said that of his 16 quartets the C-Sharp Minor Op.131 was his favorite. Wagner poetically extolled its epic greatness. Many consider this 40‐minute work the greatest quartet ever written, and exemplary of Beethoven’s profound and expansive late quartets.

ARTISTS

“Modern”, “dramatic”, “superb”, “wickedly attentive”, “with a hint of rock 'n roll energy” are a few ways critics describe the St. Lawrence String Quartet. With two EMI Grammy-nominations, and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019, the SLSQ galvanizes listeners minds and emotions both on tour and at Stanford as resident ensemble since 1998. “...precision, warmth and an electricity of playing...” (NY Times).

St. Lawrence String Quartet

PROGRAM

• Benjamin BRITTEN Phantasy Quartet for oboe & string trio in F
  

     Minor, Op.2 (1932).

• MOZART Oboe Quartet in F Major, K.370 (1781).
• BEETHOVEN Sonata for cello & piano #2 in G Minor, Op.5/#2
  

     (1796).

• DVOŘÁK Piano Quartet #2 in E-Flat Major, Op.87 (1889).

Pre-concert Talk by Musicologist Kai Christiansen, Music at Kohl Mansion (at 6:15PM)

MUSIC

Britten gives engaging voice to the high, clear oboe timbre in his Phantasy.
Mozart wrote the concerto-like Quartet to showcase a virtuoso oboist’s prowess.
Beethoven’s Op.5 gave to cello sonatas density of material and duets of equal and independent parts.
Dvořák’s Piano Quartet No. 2 clearly reflects the classical form and procedures of his mentor Brahms, and his own innate “Schubertian” lyricism and exquisite harmonies.

ARTISTS

Top Bay Area musicians founded Ensemble San Francisco in 2013 to do main-stage performances and to bring chamber music to children, youth and elders. “A hip, unstuffy, and malleable group of high-quality chamber musicians” raves the SF Classical Voice.
“…an amazing amount of talent!” (examiner.com).
NY City-based Oboist James Austin Smith’s performances are “virtuosic,” “dazzling” and “brilliant” (New York Times).

 Ensemble San Francisco  •  James Austin Smith •  Angela Lee